Trying to Find the Words
by THG.obsessed99
Summary: The boy with the bread is always on Katniss's mind. Ever since that one fateful day, she always catches herself thinking about him. What would happen if Katniss actually worked up the courage to talk to Peeta? How would that affect their relationship, if at all? But, what about the games, the rebellion? What would happen?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: The boy with the bread is always on Katniss's mind. Ever since that one fateful day, she always catches herself thinking about him. What would happen if Katniss actually worked up the courage to talk to Peeta? How would that affect their relationship, if at all? But, what about the games? What would happen then? Takes place a few months before the 74th games. KatnissxPeeta**

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for checking this story out I greatly appreciate it. Without further ado, enjoy ****_Trying to Find the Words_****.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or original ideas written by Suzanne Collins. I am simply using them to tell my own story.**

* * *

_I am slumped against the apple tree. After trying to get just a little bit of money, I have finally given up. I just want to die here, just give up and move on to a better life. Prim will be alright, right? Maybe my mother will finally snap out of it, and realize that she has to take care of Prim now. Or perhaps, she will get even worse. I look up at the bakery, thinking about how much amazing food is in there. That's when I see him, looking at me through the window. As soon as I see him, he steps out of view. Is he going to call the peacekeepers? Maybe I will already be dead when they come for me. I sit upright when I hear a scream. Not a scream of fear, but of anger. I hear yelling and arguing, getting louder and louder, until finally the door is open and a boy is shoved out. I know exactly who it is. Peeta. Peeta Mellark, the baker's son. He has been in my class since the first day of school in kindergarten. He's walking towards the pig pen with two burnt loaves and the angry baker's wife walks back inside. He looks back nervously, then directs his attention to me. _What is he doing? _In the middle of that thought, he throws me the bread in his head, and then goes inside, just like that._

"Ms. Everdeen!"

I'm awake now. I feel asleep in class, again. However, every time I fall asleep, I find myself dreaming about the same thing, over and over again. The day he threw me the bread.

"Ms. Everdeen, this is the third time that I have caught you sleeping in class this week!"

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry I won't let it happen again," I say half-heartedly.

"Just please do not let it happen again or else I will be forced to give you a Sunday detention," he says.

My eyes widen at the mention of a Sunday detention. This school has realized that no form of punishment _besides_ a Sunday detention has an effect on me. Sunday is my day in the forest, the day that I get everything ready for the week. If I cannot go hunting on Sundays, then that will just force suffrage on my mother and Prim.

"Yes, I swear it will not happen again, Mr. Wates," I basically plead.

I hear some snickering in the back of the classroom. I aim a scowl in the generally direction of the group. When I turn back to the front of class to listen to the boring lecture, I catch his eye. _Peeta._ I look at him only for a second, but when our eyes meet, his cheeks turn a rosy color and he looks down at his desk.

I pretty much drone out the rest of the class. Today's lecture is about the countries that used to inhabit the land that our country, Panem, currently inhabits. _Why would I ever need to know this stuff_, I think to myself

* * *

When the bell rings, I am the first one to leave. I make my way through the hallways to the other side of the school, where Prim's class is. I made this a habit really, I leave class, get Prim, and make our way to an excuse of a house in the Seam. But, something is different today. When I walk outside, I see a patch of dandelions. The first ones of the spring. And of course this makes me think of him. The boy that gave me hope. When I look up, there he is again. But like every single time we see each other, he just blushes and looks away. I want to thank him, I really do. I've wanted to thank him for the past five years, but I just do not know how. Do I just go up to him and just say thanks and walk away? No, it has to be more thoughtful, so I keep putting it off until I can properly thank him.

I walk over to the dandelions, and just look at them for a while. I pick one out of the ground and just hold it in my hand. Prim comes up besides me because I have just been sitting here looking at weeds for five minutes.

"Katniss, is everything alright"

"Hmm? Yep, everything's great little duck."

When we get home, Prim can sense something is up. While I made a little meal out of the little food that we have, she just stands to the side and watches me suspiciously. She can always tell when something is… not wrong but, different. I try to get her off my case by telling her to try and get our mother to eat. Surprisingly, she eats everything that we give her. Afterwards, we eat our meals and do our homework. It's almost time for bed, so I just decide to hit the hay early. I need my sleep after all. Also, there's no use in watching television. There's just going to be recaps of last year's games and the victory tour. And honestly, that's the last thing I want to be thinking about, with the next reaping being Prim's first.

Before we go to bed, Prim sits up in our bed. I already know what she's going to ask me before she says it.

"Katniss, why were you looking at those dandelions at school?"

"Oh, um, I was just thinking about some meals we could make with the dandelions, like we did that one year," I lie. But Prim knows better.

"Katniss, you are a _horrible_ liar. So are you going to tell me or not?" she asks. I decide then and there that there's nothing to lose by spilling my guts.

I tell Prim everything. When I first got the bread five years ago, I didn't exactly specify where I got the bread. Sure, they know I got it from the bakery, but they just suppose that I found it in the trash. I tell her how no one would buy her baby clothes, that I went behind the bakery wanting to die, how he threw me the bread. I even said that I noticed a long red mark on Peeta's cheek the next day at school. I tell her that he gave me hope, that without him, all three of us would probably be dead.

"But, I never understood _why_ he did it," I tell Prim.

"What do you mean?"

"Well ya he's been in my class since forever, but we never talked. I wasn't friends with him or anything. Why in the world would he give me bread. I even think he took a beating for it!"

"Well, Katniss, why don't you just ask him?"

"Prim I've tried! I…I just don't know what to say! He saved my life! Every time I try to think of something to say to him, I just find myself at a loss for words."

"You need to tell him. We owe him that much." And with that she slips under the covers and falls asleep.

Right then and there, I decide that tomorrow is the day that I finally thank the boy with the bread.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Did you guys like it? This came to my mind one day and I'm finally writing a story about it. Reviews would be great, though I will still update no matter what. Review or pm me any ideas that you might have about how this story and I'll try to incorporate all of your wonderful ideas. Thank you and love you all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone and thank you so much for the support. It really means a lot to me. I hope that everyone really likes this chapter and ya thanks so much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or original ideas written by Suzanne Collins. I am simply using them to tell my own story.**

* * *

When I wake up in the morning, I reach out across my bed and I feel the warmth of Prim. I smile at this, but then it is replaced with fear, remember last night's conversation with Prim. _What do I even say to him? When should I say tell him? Where should I tell him?_ These questions and more simultaneously run through my mind giving me a headache. I try and get it out of my head and get ready for the day. I get dressed and waking up Prim. When we get everything ready, we start the walk to school. On the way I see Gale, my best friend, walking towards us.

"Hey Catnip, Prim," Gale says.

"Oh hey Gale," I say with my best excuse for a smile, which causes him to laugh a little bit.

On the way to school, I try and think of different ways to talk to Peeta. I mean, he _saved my life_. Without him, I would be buried in the ground right now! This isn't something that I can just thank him for it and walk away. _Should I get him a gift, maybe?_ Wow, Katniss. I've never thought about getting a gift for anyone, except for Prim. What has gotten into me?

But then my attention suddenly returns back to Gale. Gale and I are best friends, but I haven't even told him about the bread incident. Should I tell him? I mean, maybe he might be able to come up with a way to thank him. While I am debating whether or not to tell him about him, I feel a lurching sensation in my gut that tells me not to tell Gale about it. For some reason, Peeta and Gale do not mix well in my head.

When we get to the school building all three of us go our separate ways to our classes. I think that school will be able to take my mind off of things, but boy was I wrong. I find it even harder, especially when _he_ is in all of my classes! I find myself looking around the classroom and lock eyes with him. Now it's my turn to blush and look away.

* * *

At the end of the day, I collect Prim and send her off with Gale, asking him to walk her home. With a strange look, he agrees and takes off slowly. I've decided that I am going to go to the bakery and ask to talk to Peeta there, and I guess I'll just make up the rest as I go. I see him leave with some merchant friends on the way back to town, and I leave about ten minutes after them.

I make my way to the back of the bakery where I usually trade squirrels with Mr. Mellark. I was getting nervous and was considering turning around and saving it for another day, but then I saw the apple tree. The exact spot where I was when he saved my life. This short, little memory fueled me and before I knew it I was up the steps and knocking on the door. And at the door was none other than Peeta Mellark.

"Oh, Katniss, um hi. I'll go get my dad," he said. He started walking away when I found my voice.

"Wait, Peeta. I came because I needed to talk to you, actually," I responded. His eyes widened a little bit and he nodded. Peeta stepped outside and closed the door to give us some privacy.

I open my mouth and am about to form words when my emotions kick in and I start sobbing. _Katniss! What the heck is wrong with you! Get yourself together!_ I start mentally kicking myself for showing weakness. If I have learned anything from taking care of three people for five years, it's that you can show your weaknesses.

I'm about to pull myself together when Peeta pulls me into an embrace. Being the strong, individual that I am, I want to push away, but I get a feeling that I have never felt before in Peeta's arms. His strong arms from years of lifting flour and kneading bread make me feel safe and warm, something that I have not felt ever since my father passed away.

We just stand there, hugging each other with me crying into Peeta. He strokes my hair while I am doing this and I feel totally at peace.

"Shhh," Peeta repeats over and over until I stop crying. I pull back and look into his perfect, blue eyes.

"Katniss, is everything all right?"

"No, Peeta. I need to thank you."

"Katniss, what would you need to thank me for?"

"For the bread, that you threw me."

"Oh Katniss, you don't have to thank me for that. And besides, we were kids then."

"Peeta, no! You don't understand. You saved my life. If you hadn't given me that bread I would even be alive to be doing this right now! Peeta, I just…why in the world would you give me that bread? I know you got hit for it too. Just…why?" I say as some tears resurface.

"What do you mean?"

"We have never even spoken words to each other before. This is the first time that we have even talked to each other!"

After I said that, I see some internal conflict going on in Peeta. He looks down and has a look of concentration on his face. He looks up at me only to look down for a little bit again.

"Because Katniss. Because…because I love you."

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**A/N: Ooooo, guys what's going to happen?! Peeta got to tell Katniss his feelings but what is Katniss going to say?! Stayed tuned for more and thank you all for the support!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Thank you all for the support and love and I am trying as hard as I can to spit theses chapters out for you guys. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:I do not own any of the characters or original ideas written by Suzanne Collins. I am simply using them to tell my own story.**

* * *

_"Peeta, no! You don't understand. You saved my life. If you hadn't given me that bread I would even be alive to be doing this right now! Peeta, I just…why in the world would you give me that bread? I know you got hit for it too. Just…why?" I say as some tears resurface._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"We have never even spoken words to each other before. This is the first time that we have even talked to each other!"_

_After I said that, I see some internal conflict going on in Peeta. He looks down and has a look of concentration on his face. He looks up at me only to look down for a little bit again._

_"Because Katniss. Because…because I love you."_

* * *

Peeta's last words hit me like a truck. _Did he just say he loves me?! Why would he say that? We don't even know each other!_

"Wh…what did you just say?"

"Katniss, I said I love you."

"I…," I suttered.

I do not even know what to say anymore. _He just said he loves me! Why would he say that!_ I need to go somewhere where I can clear my head and actually think about things in a sensible manner. And there is only one place in the whole entire world that I can think of where I can go for this. The woods.

I start to back away slowly, then turn around and start jogging towards the nearest entrance I can find.

"Katniss, wait!" I hear.

I slip under the fence and do not even bother to try and find my bow and arrows. I just run through the woods. Hopefully all the predators will be scared off by all the noise that I am making. Usually I move through the woods so swiftly, but now leaves and branches crunch between my feet as I barrel through bushes.

I finally stop…well somewhere. I see a sturdy willow tree and sit down with my back against it. All of a sudden I feel extremely tired. I never knew how taxing and tiring all these emotions would be. As I am drifting asleep, I think that I hear footsteps coming my way. I try to stay up to see what it is, but before I can I slip into a deep sleep.

* * *

I wake up suddenly, with a jacket around myself. _What the heck whose jacket it this?_ I take in a deep breath and I smell…bread? Also something like vanilla and just freshness. I stretch my legs and look around I see Peeta sitting against a willow tree across from mine. _PEETA!?_

"Peeta! What are you doing here?"

He laughs a little bit and says, "They're beautiful, you know."

"What is?" I ponder.

"The woods. The trees. I can see why you come out here."

"Mmmhmm. I can also be at peace out here. But Peeta, what are you doing out here?"

"Katniss, I'm sorry. I needed to talk to you so I followed you out here. I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. I knew that I shouldn't have said it but I just…," he said with a sigh.

I looked up into his eyes and did not see regret, but caring. He only cared about what I was feeling at the moment.

"Peeta, look. I just want to know…why?"

"Katniss Everdeen, I have loved you ever since I was five years old. I still remember the first time I saw you. It was on the first day of school, and you were in a red, plaid dress and had two braids instead of one. My father, actually, pointed you out to me. He told me that he wanted to marry your mother, but she ran off with a coal miner. By that really confused look on your face I'll take it hat you had no idea about that.

"Anyways, he said that your mother ran away with your father because when he sang, even the birds stopped to listen to him. And in music class when you sang the Valley Song, I looked outside and all the birds stopped singing. I turned back and looked at you, and I knew that I was a goner."

Could all of this be true? I mean, I did used to wear my hair in two braids when I was really little, and I vaguely remember a little dress that matched his description. This whole story make me blush.

"Oh, Peeta," I say and lean forward and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. This lights up his face completely.

"Look, Peeta, we don't even know each other. But, if we got to know each a little more, then maybe we can be…you know."

I am not sure how he does it because I think that it is impossible but his face lights up even more and gives me a goofy grin. I giggle a little at this.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here," he says. We both get up and start to walk back along the trail I made on the way here.

As we walk back, Peeta keeps looking up at the trees and different foliage in the woods.

"Like what you see?" I ask.

"Ya, uh, I paint, you see. And all of this stuff is so beautiful."

"You paint?"

"Ya. I decorate the cakes down at the bakery. And occasionally I'll make some stuff on actual paper."

"That's amazing," I say and look up at him. He looks back down on me with a smile.

Peeta offers to walk me back to my house, but I tell him that we can just do to the bakery and I will walk back myself. On the way back to the bakery, we start asking each other things like, "What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"Orange."

Also we share random facts about ourselves. Like how Peeta double knots his shoe laces, sleeps with the windows open, and his favorite type of bread is rye. I tell him that I was named after a root, my favorite berries are strawberries, and I am probably the most stubborn person in the district.

We get back to the bakery and make our way to the back door. He opens the door and steps over the threshold and turns around to face me.

"This was fun," he says.

"Peeta, do you maybe want to go in the woods with me sometime? Maybe you could paint or sketch or something?" _Where did that come from?_

"I'd love to," he says with a smile.

"Great. See you tomorrow," I tell him and give him another kiss on the cheek. As I walk away I can feel his giant, goofy grin not the back of my head.

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**A/N: Yaaaass I flipping love Everlark. Anyways, what did you guys think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone, me again! I just want to personally thank you all for all the support that you guys have given me. I really do appreciate it. I'm trying to write more and more each time just for you guys. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or original ideas written by Suzanne Collins. I am simply using them to tell my own story.**

* * *

While I would have loved for Peeta to walk with me pretty much anywhere, I need to walk home by myself to sort some things out in my mind. The first thought that comes into my mind is what Peeta told me in the woods, about how he has loved me ever since we were kids. When the words first came out of his mouth, I did not really believe him. However, it would explain how he acted around me whenever we were near each other or looked at each other.

The next thing that comes into my mind is if I want to have a relationship with Peeta. I know what I said, that we should get to know each other first, but do I really want a relationship with Peeta Mellark?

_Yes._

Well I answered that question quickly. Just from what I know of Peeta, I love it all. He is so sweet, caring, and just fills me with this feeling that I cannot explain. I just get so hopeful about life, just life when I saw him and the dandelion that one spring day. I know that I am going to do everything that I can to get to know him and get closer to him.

I get home to a small meal on the table in our kitchen. I eat it and slip into bed, noticing that both my mother and Prim are sleeping. I fall asleep and dream about two figures, one dark-haired and one blonde, frolicking in the meadow.

* * *

I wake up dreading the day because I have school, but then I realize that it Saturday. And beyond that, I remember the deal that I made with Peeta yesterday. I rouse and get dressed in some cargo pants, a t-shirt, my hunting boots, and my father's hunting jacket.

On the way to the bakery, I run into the one person who I did not really want to run into today. Gale. It's not that I want to be in a relationship with Peeta and so that means that Gale cannot be a friend of mine anymore, it is just that Gale has a straight forward mind set about townspeople. He hates them and no other opinion will ever change his mind.

"Hey, Catnip! Where ya headed?"

"Oh, hi Gale. I'm just going to go for a walk," I lie. He does not believe me one bit. God I am a horrible liar.

"C'mon Catnip. You're not one for taking walks. Are you going to the woods? I can come with you and maybe we can set some snares-"

"No! I mean, um, no it's alright Gale. Really, it's ok. I have to…um…I'm doing something for my father. You know, like a remembrance thing," I spit out. I hate to use my father as an excuse but it just came out. I will Gale the truth but just not today.

Gale quickly brushes the subject off and is on his way to wherever he is headed. Luckily no one else interrupts me on the way to bakery. I go around the building, up the few steps, take a breath, and knock on the door.

Mr. Mellark opens the door and says,"Ah Katniss, how are you? I was not expecting you today, but, what have you got for us?"

"Actually, Mr. Mellark, I was wondering if I could speak to Peeta."

He thinks about it for a second, then gives me the biggest smile I have ever seen him give me.

"Well, sure," he says. "Let me go grab him. Please come inside."

I step in and immediately am overtaken by the scent of fresh bread and other pastries wafting throughout the bakery. I just stand there taking it all in when I hear footsteps coming down the stair and see Peeta making his way down. He sees me and immediately smiles larger than his father.

"Hey," he says and comes up and hugs me and it feels amazing. Those strong arms just feel so comforting and safe. I feel upset when he lets me go. I think I actually frowned because he laughs a little bit.

"I was just wondering, if you weren't busy, if you wanted to go into the woods today?"

"Yes, of course. Let me just run upstairs and get some things."

When he comes back down, he has a sketchpad in one hand and a variety of colored pencils in the other. He gives me another warm smile and we head out. I walk with him to the meadow and we make our way under the fence. I can tell that he is a little tentative about it, so when we cross I take his hand, squeeze it. I quickly collect my nor and arrows and we go further in.

I am not sure how, but somehow we end up at the place with the two willow trees. We sit down at our respective trees and Peeta just looks at me for a little bit before getting his sketch pad out. I tell him that I'm going to walk around nearby. I get up and get my bow. I walk around a little bit and find a group of snares that I set up a week ago. I see that they caught two rabbits, but I decide that I will collect them when I get back.

I venture a little farther out and and do not see that many animals out today. I see some squirrels in nearby tress, and am able to take down two of them. I take the arrows out and hook them up to my belt. After not seeing anything for about ten minutes, I make my way back to the snares. I take the two rabbits and they join the squirrels as I reset the snares.

I quietly walk back to the willows and see Peeta sketching. The look on his face is absolutely adorable. His brow is creased as he moves the pencils along the paper. I also notice that his lips separate just a little bit when he is concentrating. I emerge finally and looks up at me and smile yet again. I sit down at my tree and ask him what he has drawn.

"Just some things that I've seen out here. Everything is so beautiful."

"Can I see?" I ask thinking that he has drawn trees, or foliage, or maybe even the occasional woodland creature.

He hands me the book and I am shocked. I flip through the pages and all I see is one girl. She looks absolutely beautiful. But, who is this? I thought that Peeta liked _me_? Who is this mystery girl? But I look through them again and I notice something. The girl has a braid that looks exactly like mine, and in some of the pictures she is sporting a slight scowl. Then I realize that this mystery girl is me.

"Oh, Peeta. They're beautiful, they really are, but this isn't me and-" I start to say but he cuts me off.

Immediately he is at my side and says, "Katniss do not ever say that in front of me, or at all. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my whole entire life. I've known that ever since I was five years old."

I do not even know what to say about this. It is in this moment, right here and right now, that I realize how much I care for this boy. How much I care for the boy with the bread. How much I care for Peeta Mellark. I just notice how close our faces are. He is looking into my eyes with such care and passion. I want to show him how much I care for him, so I kiss him.

I close the distance between our faces and put my lips against his. He does not kiss me back at first, probably because he is shocked, but after a couple seconds he does. This kiss is not rough and hard, but gentle and passionate. I get this warm feeling, that starts in my middle and branches its way out through all of my limbs. I do not even know how long we are there, five minutes or five hours. But when we pull away we are both breathless.

We rest our foreheads against each other for another few minutes, not speaking.

"Katniss…," he starts.

"Peeta, wait. Before you say anything I need to tell you something. Just within these twenty four hours I have realized something, something that I need. You. I need you Peeta. Peeta, I…I…"

"You what, Katniss?"

"Peeta I love you."

He gives me that giant, goofy grin that I love so much and we kiss again. We spend the rest of that day at the willows, wrapped in each other arms.

* * *

**A/N: Hello again everyone. I hope everyone is having an amazon Oscar Sunday. omg I am literally writing this when they gave the Oscar to Lupita. Personally I really wanted Jen to win and I love her so much but Lupita is great too and honestly I thought she was going to win. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and I have no school tomorrow so I might update again tomorrow. Thank you for the support and I love all of you!**


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR NOTE: Hi everyone! I just want to let everyone know that this story will be on hold for the rest of the week or so. I am in the drama program at my school at we are in

production week right now and I have to stay at school for ungodly hours. I am so sorry and I promise that when I get back you guys will get some "Intrigue, plots to bring

disaster." Review if you know what play we're doing.

Thanks guys I really hope you understand. I LOVE YOU ALL!

* * *

Ok anyways if you didn't get that reference we are doing Pippin. I honestly love it so much look up the soundtrack it is amazing.


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